Hoyer Discusses The Need For Republicans To Stop Playing Games With The Debt Limit on MSNBC

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) discussed the House Democratic leadership dinner with President Obama and the need for Republicans to stop playing games with the debt limit on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" this afternoon. Below are excerpts and a link to the video.

"Jobs was clearly on the President's mind and his focus. Economic growth of our country and getting us on a fiscally stable path. We talked about all of the other issues that are being considered in the Congress. We talked about Make It In America agenda, which is about jobs, growth and manufacturing, expanding exports. We also talked about, as you would not be surprised, about gun violence and also about immigration. We spent a significant time on immigration and on jobs."

“For the first time in 2011, when they took us to the brink - they being the Republicans - took us to the brink of default, that was the first time in history that we had been downgraded. The first time that the crisis was really perceived to be real in the sense that a party or a group in the party - in this case, the Republican party - thought that the default was an acceptable alternative that you could take the national debt, the credit worthiness of the United States, hostage, in order to accomplish an objective. One thing we discussed last night [at the White House] … was that neither the President nor [Democrats] are going to be intimidated or held hostage by the debt limit. The debt limit is for obligations we have already incurred and taking it hostage and saying the most credit worthy nation on earth won't pay its bill is simply not an acceptable alternative. So to that extent … there is no doubt that the Republicans have decided once again to use the debt limit as a hostage to policies they want to pursue.”